Sennar offensive explained

Conflict:Sennar offensive
Partof:the Sudanese civil war (2023-present)
Date:30 June 2024 - present
Place:Sennar State
Territory:RSF captures Mazmoum, Dinder, and the capital Sinjah.[1] [2] [3]
Status:ongoing
Combatant1: Sudanese Armed Forces
  • 17th Infantry Division

The Middle Call[4]

  • 1st self-defence battalion
Combatant2: Rapid Support Forces
Commander1:Major General Ayoub Abdel-Qader
Commander2:Abdel Rahman Albishi[5]
Sergeant Hamida Albishi
Abu Aqla Kikil
Casualties3:~ 1300 civilian missing since RSF assault on SinjaWeb site: More than 1,300 missing after Singa incidents.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has waged a major offensive against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sennar State, resulting in widespread violence and displacement,[6] [7] as part of the ongoing Sudanese civil war.

Background

The conflict in Sudan has been ongoing since April 2023, when tensions between the SAF and the RSF escalated into open warfare.

Offensive

The Sennar Offensive began with the RSF attacking the village of Jebal Moya in Sennar province. The conflict soon spread to the provincial capital of Singa, where intense fighting erupted.

RSF fighters in pickup trucks mounted with automatic rifles rampaged through Singa, looting houses and shops, and taking over the city's main hospital. The RSF claimed to have seized the military's main facility, the 17th Infantry Division Headquarters, in Singa.

Impact and aftermath

The violence forced about 57,000 people to flee their homes. Those fleeing Singa arrived in Gedaref, Blue Nile, White Nile, and Kassala states. Aid groups in Gedaref, which is already hosting more than 600,000 people, started planning for the arrival of those fleeing Sennar.

The Sennar Offensive has had severe humanitarian consequences, with potential future disruption of large-scale agricultural programs in the nearby provinces of Blue Nile, White Nile, and Jazira.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Post . Sudans . RSF seizes control of military base deserted by SAF troops near Blue Nile state . Sudans Post . 4 July 2024.
  2. Web site: RSF claims victory in Al-Dinder, second capture in days . Sudan Tribune . 5 July 2024.
  3. Web site: RSF consolidates control over Sinjah, expands eastward . Sudan Tribune . 1 July 2024.
  4. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-civilians-take-arms-against-rsf-army-fails-protect-them
  5. Web site: RSF claims victory in Al-Dinder, second capture in days . Sudan Tribune . 5 July 2024.
  6. Web site: 2024-06-30 . Looting and fighting reported in a central Sudan city as paramilitary group attacks military troops . 2024-07-06 . AP News . en.
  7. Web site: AFP . Staff Writer With . 2024-07-03 . Over 55,000 Flee Sudan Town as RSF Battles Army: UN . 2024-07-06 . The Defense Post . en-us.